Just under two months ago, following their spirited fourth-quarter rally to victory over the Indianapolis Colts, the Texans owned a two-game lead in the AFC South, including a pair of victories over their most threatening divisional rivals.

As a testament to how quickly wind changes directions in the NFL, the Colts (6-6) will host Houston (6-6) on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium with a share of first place in the division on the line. With the Tennessee Titans (6-6) also tied atop the division, the Texans are in the precarious position of having to not only fend off the Colts and Titans for a division title that once seemed theirs to lose, but they must also reverse the nosedive that put Indianapolis and Tennessee in position to swipe the AFC South.

While the Colts have won three of four, Houston has dropped three consecutive games. The Texans' offensive woes have been longstanding yet their recent late-game defensive collapses are equally troubling. Injuries have undermined them defensively, with cornerback Johnathan Joseph (ribs), linebacker John Simon (chest) and end Jadeveon Clowney (wrist/elbow) missing varying lengths of time recently.